Fringe forming sewing machine



April 9, 1963 o. R. CAYLOR 3,084,643

FRINGE FORMING SEWING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR OLLIE R. CAYLOR BY ATTORNEY I A ril 9, 1963 0. R. CAYLOR FRINGE FORMING SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28. 1960 INVENTOR OLLIE R. CAY LOR ATTORNEY April 9, 1963 o. R. CAYLOR FRINGE FORMING smwmc MACHINE Filed July 28, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR OLLIE R. QAYLOR ATTORNEY April 9, 1963 o. R. CAYLOR FRINGE FORMING SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-She et 4 Filed July 28, 1960 INVENTOR OLLIE R. CAYLOR BY W 7? ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,684,643 FRINGE FURMIWG SEWING MACHINE ()lhe R. Caylor, McDonald, Tenn, assignor to .I. M. Feighery Company, Dalton, Ga, a corporation of Georgia Filed July 28, 1960, Ser. No. 45,922 7 Claims. (Cl. Iii-64) This invention relates to a fringe forming sewing machine. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 837,175, filed August 31, 1959, now abandoned.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for use in conjunction with a sewing machine for automatically forming and stitching fringing, and wherein the mechanism performs its operations much more rapidly than with conventional machines.

A further object is to provide such a machine wherein air pressure is employed for blowing the thread, yarn, or the like across the vertical plane or planes of the stitch ing and to so coordinate the feeding of the thread or the like with the operation of the sewing machine as to form successive uniform loops of fringing.

A further object is to provide such a machine having means for feeding the thread or yarn ahead of the machine needle and to provide in conjunction therewith means for uniformly limiting the rate at which the thread or yarn can be fed to the machine so as to form successive uniform fringe loops.

A further object is to provide an open-ended thread guide operating in conjunction with the needle or needles of the machine and to feed thread into one end of said guide while discharging it from the other end for movement across the plane of stitching, and to provide an air pressure nozzle in alinemen't with the open end of the thread guide to project the thread therethrough and to carry it across the line of stitching to form the fringe loops.

A further object is to provide in combination with the mechanism just described a positive feed means from which the thread moves to the thread guide, such feed means being driven by and in synchronized relation with the usual sewing machine operations to feed the thread at a uniform rate.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus wherein the thread feeding mans is in the form of a friction drum driven from the sewing machine and which drum is replaceable with drums of larger or smaller size to vary the peripheral speed thereof and thus vary the length of the fringing.

A further object is to provide novel means for moving the thread guide and nozzle upwardly and downwardly with the presser bar as the latter moves upwardly during operation of the feeding mechanism of the machine and downwardly during each stitching operation, and to provide novel means for swinging the thread guide and nozzle forwardly and rearwardly in a direction parallel to the line of stitching to bring the fringe loops into position to be stitched, after which the guide and nozzle move forwardly for the formation of the next loop of fringe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the same;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the left-hand side of the machine as viewed in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, showing the needles and associated elements in position where a stitching operation is being performed at the completion of one loop of fringe; and

FIGURE 6 is a similar view showing the positions the parts will occupy during the formation of the next suc-. cessive frange loop.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, numeral 10 designates 0 the bed of a conventional industrial sewing machine from one end of which projects upwardly a standard 11 provided with an arm 12 the free end of which carries conventional sewing elements as referred to below. A suitable motor (not shown) drives a shaft 14 for operating the conventional parts of the sewing machine, which need not be referred to in detail. A sprocket 15 on the shaft 14 drives a chain 16 passing around a sprocket 17 mounted on a shaft 18. A parallel shaft 19 is driven from the shaft 18 through meshing gears 2d and 21, mounted respectively on the shafts Id and -19. The right-hand ends of the shafts 18- and 19 (FIGURES l and 2) are journaled in a bearing 22 carried by a plate 23 fixed as at 24 to the body of the machine. The plate 23 also carries studs 26 supporting an outer guard plate 27. j

The left-hand ends of the shafts 18 and 19 project through a bearing 30 carried by a relatively large triangular plate 31 (FIGURE 3) secured as at 32 to the free end of the amn 12. The shafts 18 and 19, as described below, drive the mechanism forming the principal part of the present invention.

The sewing machine embodies conventional stitching elements such as a vertically movable presser bar 35 hav ing a presser foot 36 at the bottom thereof and urged downwardly by the usual spring 37 visible through a slot 38 formed in the plate 31 and in the adjacent end of the arm 12. The presser foot 36 is secured to the presser bar 35 by the usual clamp 40 and is notched at one side as at 41 (FIGURES 5 and 6).

The machine further comprises a conventional vertically recipnocable needle bar 44 carrying a clamp 45 from which project downwardly two needles 46 and 47, these needles being arranged in a horizontal plane as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 and being the conventional needles of an industrial type sewing machine movable downwardly through the notch 41 of the presser foot 36 to perform the usual stitching operations. The usual feeding mechanism, comprising a serrated plate 48 (FIG- URE 3) partakes of the usual movement to feed the material rearwardly in proper timed relation to the operation of the needles 46 and 47. These elements are conventional and form no part per se of the present invention and are driven in the usual manner from the: shaft 14- 'by mechanism housed in the bed It), standard 11 and arm 12. The needles are supplied with threads 49 from any suitable source through the usual guiding and tensioning means.

The mechanism forming the principal subject matter of the present invention is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and is mounted at the left-hand end of the machine as viewed in FIGURES l and 2, the thread guiding and air jet means being shown in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6. Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3, the numeral designates a lever pivoted as at 56 to one end of a link 57 the other end of which is fixed by a clamp screw 58 to a stud 59 projecting through the slot 38 (FIGURE 3) and fixed to the presser bar 35. The link or arm 57 is thus fixed to the presser bar 35 and supports the lever 55. The lever 55 is provided at its lower end with a generally tubular thread guide 62 open at both ends for the passage therethrough of thread or yarn to be referred to Later, from which are formed the fringe loops described below.

aosgess Ontwardly or to the left of the plate 31, the shaft 18 carries a wheel 63 carrying eccentrically thereof a stud 64 having ball jointed connect-ion as at 65 with a link 66. The other end of this link has ball jointed connection as at 67 (FIGURES 1 and 3) with a stud 68 carried by the upper end of the lever 55. It Will be apparent, therefore, that rotation of the shaft 18 reciprocates the link 66 to transmit rocking movement to the lever 55, such movement being synchronized with the stitching operation as described below.

Air under pressure is delivered to the thread guide 62, through the open end thereof remote from the needles through the medium of a nozzle '76 in axial alinement with the thread guide 62. The other end of this nozzle is formed as a vertical tubular member '71 fixed to the lever 55' by an arm 72. The upper end of the tubular member 71 is connected to the lower end of a flexible hose 73 connected to one side of the plate 31 through a fitting 74, said fitting at the other side of the plate 31 being connected to one end of a hose 75 leading to a suitable source of air pressure. Throughout the sewing operation, air is delivered in the present embodiment of the invention with a constant force through the nozzle '70.

Means is provided for supplying thread or yarn to the guide 62 to be projected therethrough by the pressure of air from. the nozzle 70. Such a thread or the like, extending to the guide 62, is indicated by the numeral 80. This thread is delivered at a fixed rate according to the speed of operation of the machine by contact with a roughened drum 81, the thread being maintained in fn'ctional engagement with the drum by an idler wheel 82. From the drum 81 to the guide 62 the thread extends downwardly substantially in a straight line and at an angle as shown in FIGURE 3, and the plate 31 may be provided with a similarly inclined guard 83 projecting laterally from the plate and having an upper end 84 projecting rearwardly beneath the meeting points of the wheels 81 and 32. The guard 83 is omitted in FIGURES 1 and 2. The wheel 81 is carried by the shaft 19 as shown in FIGURE 1 and, accordingly, is driven constantly by the source of power which operates the sewing machine.

The wheel 82 is rotatable on a stub shaft 88 carried by an arm 89 fixed to a rock shaft 99 journaled in suitable bearing means 91 carried by the plate 31. At the side of the plate 31 opposite the arm 89, the shaft 90 is provided with a collar 92 having a depending arm 93 to the lower end of which is connected one end of a spring 94. The other end of this spring is connected as at 95 to the plate 31. The spring 4, therefore, tends to rock the shaft 90 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4, thus biasing the wheel 82 toward the wheel 81 to maintain the thread 80 in firm contact with the wheel or drum 81. It will be apparent that the drum 81 predetermines the IlllfiXlmum speed of movement of the thread 80 toward the guide 62, the air pressure from the nozzle 70 being enabled to force the thread through the guide 62 at the predetermined maximum speed set by the drum 81. The shaft 90 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly extending arm 96 operable for swinging the wheel 82 away from the drum 81.

A vertical plate 98 is supported rearwardly of the machine by spaced studs 99 secured to a bar 100 carried by the plate 31. The plate 98 is provided with a grommet 161 through which the thread 86 is fed from a suitable source of supply.

The formation of the fringe is shown in FIGURES and 6. The lower end of the lever 55 is at its rearmost limit of movement in FIGURE 5, with the opening in the thread guide 62 arranged slightly rearwardly of the needle 46 so that one line of stitching 105 passes over one parallel side 107 of a newly completed loop, the thread forming the line of stitching referred to thus securing the upper portion of the loop end 107 to a backing strip 168 to which the fringing ordinarily is stitched. The fringe thus completed is provided with an outer loop 1619. Beyond the point in the operation of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 5 the lower end of the lever 55 starts to move toward the left. The needle 46 will have been withdrawn from the strip 108 after having passed downwardly through the inner fringe loop 110 (FIGURE 6) at the point 111. With the needles elevated to the position shown in FIGURE 2 and with the lower end of the lever swinging to the left toward the position shown in FIG- URE 6, the blowing of the jet of air through the guide 62 will blow the thread across the planes of the needles, thus starting the formation of the next fringe loop, one of which is shown in FIGURE 6 and indicated by the numeral 112. In the meantime, the needle 47 will have been forming a line of stitching 113. Since the needle 47 is set rearwardly of the needle 46, it is the latter needle which pins down the inner end of a straight fringe loop end 167 when the needle 46 descends. The lower end of the lever arm 55 is at its forward limit in FIGURE 6 and starts to move rearwardly relative to the needle 46 and passes such needle just before the latter is ready again to descend to fasten another completed fringe loop in position.

Operation The conventional parts of the sewing machine operate in the usual manner. The needles 46 and 47 are reciprocated by the usual means provided for this purpose and at each elevation of the needles the conventional feed mechanism 48 moves upwardly into engagement with the cloth or other material and then rearwardly to feed the material to a position for the completion of the next stitching operation. The lever 55 has two points thenealong fixed with respect to other elements of the machine, namely at the pivot 56 and at the ball joint 67. The lever is supported by the fixed link or arm 57 and its vertical position may be adjusted by loosening the clamping screw 58 and swinging the opposite end of the arm 57 upwardly or downwardly, and then tightening the screw 58. The oscillation of the lower end of the lever to swing it between the positions shown in LFIGURES 5 and 6 is effected by means of the eccentric stud 64, rotatable about the axis of and driven by the shaft 18. The oscillatory movement of the lever 55, the rotation of the feed drum 81 and the operation of the sewing elements of the machine obviously are synchronized with respect to each other.

The wheel or drum 81 is rotated by the shaft 19 and its circumference predetermines the rate of movement of the thread 86 from the drum 81 to the guide 62. It will become apparent that by using a drum 81 of greater diameter, longer fringe loops will be formed, while shorter loops may be made by utilizing a drum 81 of smaller diameter. The thread 80 initially may be fed past the drum '81 by depressing the arm 96 to rock the arm 89 and thus move the Wheel 82 away from the drum 81. A sufiicient length of the thread will be pulled between the wheel '82 and drum 81 so that the end of the thread may be extended through the thread guide 62. The arm 96 is then released and the thread will be held in firm engagement with the drum 81.

Since the lever 55 is supported by the presser bar through the link or arm 57, it is always movable vertically therewith. The nozzle 7 0, being fixed with respect to the lower end of the lever 55, will have its discharge opening always in axial alinement with the thread guide 62. The pressure of the air carries the thread through the thread guide and the speed of movement of the thread, regardless of the air pressure, will be limited by the linear speed of the thread moving to the thread guide, as determined by rotation of the wheel 81. A stitch having been made at the point 111 in FIGURE 6, the lower end of the lever 55 will swing toward its forward limit of movement while blowing the thread through the guide 62, a partially completed fringe loop: 112 being formed at the point in the operation of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 6. With the needles elevated, the strip 108 will be moved rearwardly by the feed mechanism 48 of the sewing machine, and the lower end of the lever 55 will move rearwardly as the lever is rocked about the pivot 56 by the link 66. The lower end of the lever reaches the position shown in FIGURE just to the rear of the vertical axis of the needle 46 as the latter descends to pin down the portion 167 of the now completed loop behind the needle 46 in FIGURE 5. With the formation of such loop completed, the needle 46 is elevated and the portion of the thread 80 now moved to the left of the transverse plane of the needle 46 will be free to move downwardly as viewed in FIGURE 6 for the formation of the next successive loop of fringe.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the fringe is formed as rapidly as the two lines of stitching 105 and 113 can be carried out through the normal operations of the conventional parts of the sewing machine. The operation therefore is much more rapid than can be performed with present mechanisms utilized for forming fringing. All of the operations are fully automatic. With the parts of the sewing machine ready for operation with the needles threaded, etc., it is merely necessary to start the thread tit) through the thread guide whereupon the stitching operation is started and the successive loops are rapidly formed. Since the speed of rotation of the roughened drum 31 is synchronized with the operation of the machine, it will be apparent that successive fringe loops of identical length and spacing will be formed. Control devices forming no part of the present mechanism obviously will be used. For example, any desired preferably solenoid operated valve used in the air pressure line 75 would be opened whenever the motor for the sewing machine is started. In such case, it merely is necessary to start the motor of the machine, complete the fringing opera tion and then stop the motor, whereupon the supply of air from the source will be out 01f. As stated, the particular means for controlling the air forms no part of the present invention. It also will be apparent that the present invention is not limited in its use to any particular type of sewing machine.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a sewing machine having a vertically reciprocable needle and a presser bar having a presser foot at the lower end thereof, a fringe forming device comprising a tubular thread feeding guide having both ends open and having one end adjacent the needle, a fluid pressure nozzle for blowing a thread through said guide, means for supplying thread to said guide to be blown through said guide, said guide and said nozzle being fixed in axial alinement, and means for moving said guide back and forth between a position just rearwardly of the needle for the stitching of the strand of thread projecting from said thread guide and a position forwardly of the needle in which position the thread will be blown to form a fringe loop.

'2. For use with a sewing machine having a vertically reciprocable needle and a presser bar having a presser foot at the lower end thereof, a fringe forming device comprising a tubular thread feeding guide having both ends open and having one end adjacent the needle, a fluid pressure nozzle for blowing a thread through said guide, means for supplying thread to said guide to be blown through said guide, said guide and said nozzle being fixed in axial alinement, a lever having a lower end to which said thread guide is fixed, and means for rocking said lever back and forth to move said thread guide between a position just rearwardly of the needle for the stitching of the strand of thread projecting from the guide and a position forwardly of the needle in which position the thread is blown to form a fringe loop.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said means for supplying thread to said thread guide comprises a feed roller, means for rotating said roller, and an idler roller biased toward said feed roller to maintain the thread in engagement therewith, the thread passing between said rollers and then to said thread guide.

4. For use with a sewing machine having a vertically reciprocable needle and a presser bar having a presser foot at the lower end thereof, a fringe forming dew'ce comprising a tubular thread feeding guide having both ends open and having one end adjacent the needle, a fluid pressure nozzle for blowing a thread through said guide, means for supplying thread to said guide to be blown through said guide, said guide and said nozzle being fixed in axial alinement, a lever having a lower end to which said thread guide is fixed, a pivot support for said lever intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to be fixed to said pressure bar, and means connected to the upper end of said lever for rocking it back and forth to move said thread guide between a position just rearwardly of the needle for the stitching of the strand of thread projecting from the guide and a position forwardly of the needle in which position the thread is blown to form a fringe loop.

5. In combination with a sewing machine having a vertically reciprocable needle, a presser bar having a presser foot at the lower end thereof, a feed mechanism including a plate movable under the presser foot to feed material rearwardly upon each upward movement of the needle, and power means comprising a drive shaft for operating said needle, said presser bar and said feed mechanism; a fringe forming device comprising a tubular thread feeding guide having both ends open and having one end adjacent said needle, a fluid pressure nozzle for blowing a thread through said guide, means driven from said drive shaft for supplying thread to said guide at a predetermined linear speed, said guide and said nozzle being fixed in axial alinement for the blowing of the thread through said guide at a speed predetermined by operation of said thread supplying means, and means for moving said guide back and forth between a position just rearwardly of the needle for the stitching of the strand of thread projecting from the thread guide and a position forwardly of the needle in which position the thread will be blown to form a fringe loop.

6. In combination with a sewing machine having a vertically reciprocable needle, a presser bar having a presser foot at the lower end thereof, a feed mechanism including a plate movable under the pressure foot to feed material rearwardly upon each upward movement of the needle, and power means comprising a drive shaft for operating said needle, said presser bar and said feed mechanism; a fringe forming device comprising a tubular thread feeding guide having both ends open and having one end adjacent said needle, a fluid pressure nozzle for blowing a thread through said guide, means driven from said drive shaft for supplying thread to said guide at a predetermined linear speed, said guide and said nozzle being fixed in axial alinement for the blowing of thread through said guide at a speed predetermined by operation of said thread supplying means, a lever having a lower end to which said thread guide is fixed, and means driven from said drive shaft for rocking said lever back and forth in synchronism with operation of said needle to move said thread guide between a position just rearwardly of said needle whereby downward movement of the latter stitches the strand of thread projecting from the guide and a position forwardly of the needle in which position the thread will be blown to form a fringe loop.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 provided with pivot supporting means for said lever intermediate the ends thereof, said pivot supporting means being fixed to said presser bar, said means for supplying thread to said thread guide comprising a feed roller having mechanical connection with said drive shaft to be rotated at a predetermined speed, and an idler roller biased toward said feed roller to maintain the thread in engagement therewith, the thread passing between said rollers and then to 5 said thread guide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 146,970 W'right Ian. 27, 1874 10 8 Merwitz June 5, 1934 Williams Aug. 12, 1952 Breul et a1 Feb. 25, 1958 Sokoloff Mar. 16, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Mar 29, 1951 

1. FOR USE WITH A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE NEEDLE AND A PRESSER BAR HAVING A PRESSER FOOT AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, A FRINGE FORMING DEVICE COMPRISING A TUBULAR THREAD FEEDING GUIDE HAVING BOTH ENDS OPEN AND HAVING ONE END ADJACENT THE NEEDLE, A FLUID PRESSURE NOZZLE FOR BLOWING A THREAD THROUGH SAID GUIDE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THREAD TO SAID GUIDE TO BE BLOWN THROUGH SAID GUIDE, SAID GUIDE AND SAID NOZZLE BEING FIXED 